Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Acadia is the closest National Park to our home and so the park we’ve visited the most. Below we share where to stay near Acadia based on almost yearly visits.
Acadia doesn’t have a lodge inside the park: but it does have four campgrounds scattered across its three sections, and the surrounding towns are real towns and communities rather than tiny outposts that pop up to serve the National Park.
Most visitors base themselves in Bar Harbor, the park’s main gateway on the east side of Mount Desert Island, or in the quieter towns of Southwest Harbor and Tremont on the island’s “quiet side.” This means you get a large variert of lodging options. You’ll find everything from historic sea captains’ inns to classic New England motels, waterfront cottages, and in-park campgrounds tucked into spruce forest or reachable only by boat. Here’s our curated list to help you find the perfect base.
In general the hotels outside Acadia are more expensive than some other park hotels.
Looking for more to do in Acadia? Check out 15 Absolute Top Things to do in Acadia National Park for an Amazing Visit or The Perfect Acadia National Park Itinerary For 1-4 Amazing Days.
Our National Parks are full of epic hikes, sweeping vistas, and amazing ecosystems. If you like our parks, you'll love our National Parks Newsletter or you can explore exactly how we plan a National Parks Trip.
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Staying in the Park
Acadia has four campgrounds inside its boundaries: but no lodge or cabins, so this is a camping-only experience. Blackwoods Campground, on the east side of Mount Desert Island near Bar Harbor, is the most popular and central option, with 306 sites just minutes from Sand Beach, Cadillac Mountain, and Jordan Pond. The last time we visited we stayed here and recommend it. It has no hookups or showers, but does have potable water, restrooms, and a short trail down to the rocky shore.
Reserve as early as possible at recreation.gov.
For a quieter pace, Seawall Campground sits on the island’s western side, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Bar Harbor, with tent and RV sites and easier access to less-crowded trails and beaches.
Away from the main part of Acadia, Schoodic Woods Campground is the park’s newest campground, located on the remote Schoodic Peninsula about 45 miles from Bar Harbor. It’s the only campground with electric hookups and offers spacious, private sites and some of the darkest skies in the park.
Finally, Duck Harbor Campground on Isle au Haut is the true outlier: five rustic lean-to shelters reachable only by mail boat or ferry, with composting toilets, no potable water, and no vehicle acces: about as close as Acadia gets to a backcountry experience.
Outside of these four campgrounds, all other accommodation is based in Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Tremont, or nearby Trenton and Ellsworth, covered in detail throughout this guide.
Camping Outside the Park
Hadley’s Point Campground
Private, Bar Harbor | $$ Best for RVers who want hookups or couldn’t snag an in-park reservation.
Just outside Bar Harbor, this private campground has full RV hookups, hot showers, a pool, and a camp store, plus flexible booking that doesn’t require planning six months ahead. It’s a good fallback if the NPS campgrounds are full, or the right call if you’re traveling with a larger RV than the 35-foot in-park limit allows.
✦ Full RV hookups ✦ Pool & hot showers ✦ No 6-month booking window ✦ Minutes from Bar Harbor
Mount Desert Campground
Private, Somes Sound | $$ Best for campers who want the classic Maine coastal camping experience.
Set along the shores of Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island, this privately owned campground feels like a true Maine getaway. Forested sites, waterfront views, and easy access to Acadia’s quieter western side make it one of the most memorable places to stay near the park. It’s ideal for travelers who want to wake up by the water, explore Acadia during the day, and return to a peaceful campsite at night.
✦ Waterfront sites on Somes Sound
✦ Kayak rentals available
✦ Great access to Southwest Harbor & Acadia’s quieter side
✦ Tent and RV sites available
This is our choice if you are staying outside the park in a campground.
TOP PICKS Where to Stay Near Acadia National Park: Lodging
These properties offer the best combination of comfort, location, and coastal Maine charm for your Acadia trip.
Acadia Hotel – Downtown
$ | Bar Harbor: Best for budget travelers who still want to walk everywhere.
Sitting right on Bar Harbor’s Village Green, this is about as central as it gets without paying resort prices. It’s a straightforward, no-frills stay, but the location does the heavy lifting: you can walk to the pier, the shops, and most downtown restaurants without ever needing the car, and it’s a short drive to the park entrance.
Rooms are simple, so don’t expect a spa or an ocean view, but for the price and the location, it’s hard to beat if you’re spending most of your time out on the trails anyway.
✦ Walk to everything downtown ✦ Free parking ✦ Close to the pier ✦ Great value for the location
Bar Harbor Inn & Spa
$$ | Bar Harbor: Best all-around pick for a comfortable, walkable mid-range stay.
Right on the water in downtown Bar Harbor, this is the classic choice for a first Acadia trip, an on-site spa, outdoor pool, two restaurants, and harbor views, all still walking distance to town. It strikes a real balance: nicer than a budget motel, without tipping into full luxury pricing.
Book the Oceanfront or Newport building rooms if you can — the harbor views are worth the small upcharge, and it’s an easy stroll down the Shore Path in the morning before the day gets busy.
✦ Oceanfront location ✦ On-site spa & pool ✦ Two restaurants on property ✦ Walk to downtown Bar Harbor
The Claremont Hotel
$$$ | Southwest Harbor: Best for a quieter, upscale escape on the island’s less-touristy side.
Tucked into Southwest Harbor on the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island, The Claremont trades Bar Harbor’s bustle for a more secluded, classic-Maine-inn feel think croquet on the lawn, water views, and an easy drive to Seawall Campground’s hiking and biking trails instead of the busier Park Loop Road crowds.
This is the one to book if you’ve already done the highlights and want a slower, more romantic pace for a return trip it’s consistently the top-rated luxury pick on the island, but it does book up early for peak season.
✦ Water views ✦ Classic Maine inn atmosphere ✦ Quieter side of the island ✦ Books up early
A few other places worth considering:
PRO TIP: When to Book
Bar Harbor and the surrounding island fill up fast from June through October, with peak leaf-peeping season in early-to-mid October selling out especially quickly.
Book at least 3–6 months in advance for summer and fall visits. Acadia’s in-park campgrounds open reservations on Recreation.gov exactly six months ahead (double check to see any changes, and popular loops at Blackwoods and Seawall often book up within days of opening don’t wait.
Note that Acadia now requires an entrance pass year-round, and a separate vehicle reservation is needed to drive up Cadillac Mountain during sunrise hours. Winter visits (December–March) bring dramatically smaller crowds and a peaceful, snow-quiet park, though the campgrounds, Park Loop Road, and many local businesses close for the season.
